WEBVTT
West Des Moines Police Chief
Shaun LaDue's resigned Sunday at
the request of city manager Tom
Hadden. LaDue resigned while in
the middle a discrimination
lawsuit. Three women with the
department say that he
mistreated them because of their
gender. Alice Wisner ... A
crime analyst who says Ladue
stripped her of her duties and
gave them to male co-workers ...
settled her lawsuit against
LaDue and the city of West Des
Moines several weeks ago. She
says she first heard of LaDue's
resignation early Sunday
afternoon.
<"I HAD A GREAT SENSE OF RELIEF
AND A FEELING OF VINDICATION.">
Wisner says it's been a long two
and half year process.
<"A ROLLER COASTER RIDE WE USED
TO CALL IT AND IT'S JUST A GREAT
SENSE OF RELIEF THAT IT'S
OVER."> She says LaDue made her
feel unappreciated for the work
she had done for more than a
decade.
<"HE WAS A CHIEF THAT DID NOT
VALUE THE WORK THAT I DID.
<"IT MADE ME QUESTION MY WORTH.
IT MADE ME QUESTION MY
INTELLIGENCE. IT MADE ME
QUESTION WHAT KIND OF EMPLOYEE I
REALLY WAS."> In May of 2015,
city manager Tom Hadden said the
city would vigorously defend
LaDue.
<"I HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE IN
HIM.">
People say they're surprised but
glad that the city has now asked
LaDue to resign.
<"IT'S KIND OF DISAPPOINTING BUT
LIKE I SAID IF THERE'S ISSUES I
THINK IT WAS GOOD FOR HIM TO
RESIGN.">
<"I AGREE WITH HIM STEPPING
DOWN. I THINK IT'S A GOOD
DECISION AND WE NEED TO HAVE
MORE OF THAT IN OUR SOCIETY
WHERE WE CAN GET RID OF THAT
SORT OF THING."> Wisner says
it's a step in the right
direction.
<"WITH HIS RESIGNATION THAT'S A
BIG STEP TOWARDS SEEING JUSTICE
SERVED.">

The West Des Moines police chief who had been the subject of a sex discrimination lawsuit involving three women has resigned.

A city spokeswoman told KCCI on Sunday that West Des Moines City Manager Tom Hadden requested that Police Chief Shaun LaDue resign, though it is unclear whether his resignation was related to the litigation.

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"I had a great sense of relief and a feeling of vindication," said Alice Wisner, a former West Des Moines Police Department analyst. "A roller coaster ride we used to call it, and it's just a great sense of relief that it's over."

Wisner said LaDue made her feel unappreciated for the work she had done for more than a decade.

"He was a chief that did not value the work that I did," Wisner said. "It made me question my worth. It made me question my intelligence. It made me question what kind of employee I was. With his resignation, that's a big step toward seeing justice served."

Previously, city officials had said they didn't find evidence supporting complaints that LaDue had handed out unwarranted discipline or promoted less-qualified men.

"I have every confidence in him," Hadden told KCCI in May 2015.

But the women who filed the sexual discrimination complaints with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission in October 2014 said their pleas for help to human resources and city manager’s office were overlooked.

The commission doesn’t have the resources to handle the case, though, which is why it is being held in civil court, said Paige Fiedler, an attorney who represents one of the women who sued.

Fiedler said the women were never interviewed by anyone at the city about their complaints and hopes the city will hire a police chief who can make sure everyone’s contributions are valued.

"They have been through not being treated the same as their male counterparts,” Fiedler said. “They've been treated with incredibly disrespectful behavior and their protest about the sex discrimination and retaliation that they've experienced have been met with deaf ears.”

"These very brave women are not in it for the short run. They want to transform the West Des Moines Police Department into a place where all employees can be valued for their contributions, regardless of their gender,” she added.

City spokeswoman Lucinda Stephenson said in a statement, “City officials look forward to focusing on the future success of the department and its ability to provide quality law enforcement services to the citizens of West Des Moines.”

Lt. James Barrett, a 32-year veteran of the department, has been appointed interim police chief.

THE LAWSUIT:

The lawsuit details the allegations against LaDue and the city, outlining each woman's on-the-job experiences with the chief. They claim less qualified men were promoted instead of them. Two of the women still work for the department.

The lawsuit claims "LaDue has compromised the safety of the citizens of West Des Moines and the safety of his officers in order to discriminate and retaliate against female employees within the Police Department."

Sgt. Tanya Zaglauer Schmell states that from the beginning of LaDue's tenure in 2012, he instilled an environment of gender bias among officers. According to the lawsuit, "male officers have been openly insubordinate toward Tanya because of her gender."

In July 2014, the lawsuit states, a fellow sergeant said, "The chief does not like anyone with boobs."